CG - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

In the corridor of the county hospital, Wei Jinzhi held Wu Gu's X-ray with a grave expression. Wu Gu, pale and sitting in a wheelchair with an IV drip in her hand, stared at Wei Jinzhi's face, her nervousness impossible to hide. She asked, "Is it very serious?"

"No." Wei Jinzhi touched her forehead. "A fractured ankle, but it's not displaced. We just need to immobilize it. It's not serious."

Wu Gu breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "Then what's wrong with you?"

Wei Jinzhi opened her mouth several times, hesitating, before finally making up her mind. She looked at Wu Gu and forced the words out. "You're only nineteen?"

The hospital's system calculated age down to the exact day. Wu Gu was born in September, and with her birthday still a few months away, the CT scan report honestly stated she was only nineteen. When Wei Jinzhi saw the number, her mind went a little blank. The information Wu Yong had investigated back then only included a date of birth, and she hadn't bothered to calculate it, only knowing that Wu Gu was a sophomore. Later, when Wu Gu said she was twenty-two, Wei Jinzhi had simply committed that to memory.

"Oh, I'm nineteen in actual years," Wu Gu said. "But where I'm from, we're used to adding two years to our age."

"You added three years." Which meant that Wu Gu had just been born the year Wei Jinzhi was cursed. She was a full fourteen years older than Wu Gu. The fact that she had fallen for a girl who wasn't even twenty yet was, for a moment, quite difficult for Wei Jinzhi to accept.

Wu Gu was puzzled. "What's the matter? Is there something wrong with me being nineteen?"

"It's nothing. I'll take you to get your ankle immobilized first. After that, we'll go to the hotel to shower and change, and once we've had lunch, I'll take you back to North City to have it checked again at the City First Hospital."

Wu Gu pressed her lips together and watched her, feeling that she was hiding something. But since Wei Jinzhi wouldn't say, she couldn't ask, and a sullen feeling settled in her heart. Wei Jinzhi looked at her—at her red lips and white teeth, her fair and tender skin, her mouth pouting slightly from unhappiness—and the more she looked, the younger and more delicate Wu Gu seemed. She had only just convinced herself to accept a ten-year age gap; now that another four years had been added, she had no choice but to accept it.

On the drive back, Wu Gu was still sulking, staring out the window the entire way. Wei Jinzhi couldn't bear to see her unhappy, especially when she was the cause. She took Wu Gu's hand, which was resting on the seat, and coaxed her, "Is there something so special outside that you've been looking at it for so long?"

Wu Gu turned her head. "You're not telling me something?" Her tone was very much like a pouting complaint, but in her heart, she was afraid something was wrong with Wei Jinzhi and that she didn't want to drag her into it.

Wei Jinzhi tilted her head to look at her, the corners of her lips turning up. "I just couldn't accept for a moment that you're fourteen years younger than me."

"You think I'm too young?"

"No."

Wu Gu looked at her, frowning in confusion, then said, "Then do you think you're too old? It's okay, I don't mind that you're old."

A breath caught in Wei Jinzhi's chest, leaving her stuck. The words sounded nice enough, but she couldn't feel happy about them at all. She touched her forehead again. Wu Gu let out a chuckle. "So you really do care," she said. "I was just joking with you, Sister Wei."

Wei Jinzhi reached out and touched Wu Gu's ear, rubbing it gently. "You're asking for it."

Wu Gu was exceptionally easy to coax. Just like that, with a few simple words, the last traces of her sullen mood vanished. She hugged Wei Jinzhi's arm and looked up at her, her eyes curving into crescents, her face as radiant as a peach blossom. Wei Jinzhi's gaze was scorching, as if it could reflect the girl before her. She drew Wu Gu closer, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and said softly, "Why don't you sleep for a little while longer?"

In an instant, Wu Gu felt as if she'd been set alight. Her heart pounded and her face burned. She only managed a quiet, "Okay." She snuggled into Wei Jinzhi's embrace and closed her eyes. As she drifted off, she was still thinking, Wei Jinzhi is so gentle… and she smells so good.

---

Every year, on the day after Wei Jinzhi's birthday, Ma Zhenshan would invite her over, ostensibly to check the yin qi in her body. Over time, it became a habit, and Wei Jinzhi would go without him even having to ask. But this year, he waited and waited, and by nearly five o'clock, she still hadn't arrived. He first called Mrs. Wei, who, after some pleasantries, said she didn't know where her daughter was either. Only then did he call Wei Jinzhi.

Wei Jinzhi was at the City First Hospital when she answered the call. Wu Gu had only had her ankle immobilized back in Huaishan; the cast was being applied now that they were back in North City. She stepped out of the casting room and answered her phone. "Master Ma, is something the matter?"

Ma Zhenshan said, "Yesterday was your birthday. I prepared a gift for you. When you have time, I'll have Xiao Zhou deliver it."

"That's very kind of you, Master Ma, but I'm a bit busy right now and not at home."

Ma Zhenshan was feeling anxious today. A Tianshi's senses were more acute than an ordinary person's. He decided not to beat around the bush. "You always come to see me on the seventh. What held you up today? I'm very concerned about your health."

"Wu Gu was injured. I'm with her at the hospital for an examination."

Master Ma remembered Wu Gu. Although he hadn't thought much of her after their meeting, the paper talisman she had drawn had made him take notice. He asked, "How was she injured? Is it serious?"

"She broke her leg. She's getting a cast right now." Wei Jinzhi guessed he wouldn't let it go so easily, so she decided to exaggerate the details. "Yesterday, Wu Gu and I went exploring on Huaishan. We got lost in the mountains at night. It was too dark to see the path, and she fell. We only managed to get out of the mountains this morning."

"How could you be so careless?" Ma Zhenshan seized the opportunity. "Well, since the little Daoist friend and I are both of the Xuanmen, and she has been injured, it is only right that I, as an elder, pay her a visit. I'll bring your gift along as well." The sound of him giving instructions to Zhou Mao could be heard over the phone. Then he asked, "Are you at the City First Hospital?"

"Yes. In that case, I'll thank you on Wu Gu's behalf, Master."

Wei Jinzhi hung up the phone, her expression unreadable. There was something strange about Ma Zhenshan's behavior. She glanced through the doorway at Wu Gu, who had her leg propped up while it was being bandaged, her eyes squeezed shut and her brow furrowed as she hissed in pain. Perhaps she really shouldn't have let Wu Gu get involved in this. If Wu Gu's guess that Ma Zhenshan had another trick up his sleeve was true, should she really let her continue to take risks for her sake? Suddenly, Wei Jinzhi hesitated.

Just as Wu Gu's cast was finished, Zhou Mao arrived, driving Ma Zhenshan. A few minutes later, Mrs. Wei's car also pulled into the hospital. The moment Mrs. Wei got out, she looked Wei Jinzhi over several times. Only when she saw her daughter was unharmed did she relax. But when she saw Wu Gu being pushed in a wheelchair by Wu Yong, her expression immediately soured, and her opinion of the girl dropped to freezing point.

Mrs. Wei said, "Your birthday was only yesterday. Why are you acting more and more childish? You've always been so composed. What possessed you to go exploring in the mountains? Thank goodness you're all right."

Even before getting out of the car, Ma Zhenshan had sensed a change in Wei Jinzhi. In the past, her face had been as pale as paper, her yintang dark with gloom. Today, though still pale, her cheeks were rosy. He quickly opened his yin-yang eyes to check and was instantly shocked. The yin qi around Wei Jinzhi was completely gone, and her yintang was glowing with a golden light. He composed himself, and just as he stepped out of the car to ask about it, he was interrupted by the arrival of Mrs. Wei.

He suppressed his questions, careful not to appear too eager. "The little Daoist friend is still young," he said. "Jinzhi was likely influenced by her, but it's nothing to worry about. It's good for young people to enjoy themselves. Please rest assured, Madam." His words were actually a veiled jab at Wu Gu. One trip to Huaishan, and more than a decade of his painstaking efforts had turned to dust. Regardless of the truth, his intuition told him he could not let Wu Gu get any closer to Wei Jinzhi.

Mrs. Wei said, "Xiao Wu, take Miss Wu back to the university, then hire someone to look after her."

Wei Jinzhi said, "Mom, there's no need to go to the trouble. I'll take her back to the Changshan Villa to recover."

Mrs. Wei was annoyed by Wei Jinzhi's foolishness, but with so many people around, it wasn't the place to argue. She could only say, "Let's go home first. I need to talk to you."

"Wait a moment," Master Ma called out as they were about to leave. "Jinzhi, come with me. I have something to ask you in private."

The current Wei Jinzhi had plenty of energy to play along with his pretense. Once in Ma Zhenshan's car, she said, "Master Ma, is there a problem with the yin qi in my body? Wu Gu told me today that it seems to have faded."

"I was just about to ask you about that. Did you two encounter something last night?"

Wei Jinzhi said, "Last night, Wu Gu fell down the mountain and bled a lot. It was dark, but I felt a force pulling at me, and then I passed out. It was Wu Gu who told me the next day that her blood contains spiritual power and had activated a formation in the mountains. She said it was a Soul-Snare Formation that could draw out my yin qi. I'm not a cultivator, so I can't tell if there's been any change in my body. Please, Master Ma, tell me if this is true."

Wei Jinzhi's attitude was sincere, and her longing for the yin qi to disappear was expressed with genuine emotion. Wu Gu also looked as if she were truly injured. Moreover, a curse laid by a Ghost King was not something that could be broken by just anyone. Ma Zhenshan shot a vicious glare at Wu Gu through the car window. The situation was bizarre, but not entirely impossible. Still, this Wu Gu was ultimately a variable. He had to get her away from Wei Jinzhi as soon as possible.

A moment later, his face was once again a mask of benevolent affection. "What she said is true," he said.

"Really?"

Then he adopted a serious tone. "Don't get too excited just yet. Let me observe for a few days before I make a final conclusion."

"I'll be counting on you, Master Ma."

The two of them got out of the car. Wei Jinzhi returned to the group with a joyful expression on her face. Mrs. Wei's eyes lit up, and she asked, suppressing her excitement, "What is it? What did the Master just tell you?"

"The Master said the yin qi in my body has disappeared." Wei Jinzhi pressed her advantage. "And it's all thanks to Wu Gu. If she hadn't suggested we go exploring, this fortunate coincidence wouldn't have happened and cured my ailment. Mom, she's my savior!"

Wu Gu blinked, utterly stunned. Wei Jinzhi's joyful expression, the undisguised excitement in her voice, the sheer elation of someone cured of a long illness—she portrayed it all so vividly, so convincingly. Wu Gu wanted to play a part too, so she chimed in, "Sister Wei, you're exaggerating. It was just a coincidence."

Wei Jinzhi smiled at her, but it was actually a glare. Wu Gu shrank back and offered a sheepish grin. Why are you adding to this? Wei Jinzhi thought. Acting was exhausting, and she just wanted to get it over with and go home, but here was Wu Gu, ad-libbing her own lines.

Fortunately, Mrs. Wei was there. She quickly turned to Master Ma for confirmation. "Master, is Jinzhi really all right?"

Master Ma said, "Rest assured, Madam. Jinzhi is fine now."

Mrs. Wei grabbed her daughter's hand, her voice trembling. "Quick, tell me everything! No, no, call your father first. My precious daughter is finally all right!"

Wei Jinzhi soothed her. "Mom, let's go back to Changshan first. Have Dad come over, and we can talk about it slowly over dinner."

"Yes, yes. Master, we have to go now. We'll pay you a proper visit to thank you another day."

Wei Jinzhi gave Wu Yong a look, and he began pushing Wu Gu toward the car. After bidding Ma Zhenshan farewell, Wei Jinzhi helped her mother into her own car. Before getting in, Mrs. Wei glanced over at Wu Gu, who was being lifted into the passenger seat by Wu Yong. She could let the matter of the Huaishan expedition slide for now, but she still felt the girl was a troublemaker and was determined to make her daughter keep her distance.

Ma Zhenshan sat back in his car, his expression dark. It wasn't easy to lay a curse using a Ghost King; doing it a second time would be even harder. And that Wu Gu made him uneasy. All his previous efforts had been for nothing, and he was filled with hatred and anger. Wei Jinzhi's life would be his, sooner or later. He said to Zhou Mao, who was driving, "Send someone to keep an eye on that Wu Gu. And take a trip to Huaishan. Find out if there have been any major disturbances in the mountains over the past two days."

"Yes, Master."

---

Back at the Changshan Villa, Wei Jinzhi prepared a downstairs room for Wu Gu to recover in. Wu Gu had just finished arranging her leave of absence with her academic advisor, sending over a photo of her medical report. Mrs. Wei sat on the sofa, watching her without a hint of warmth, making Wu Gu feel as if she were sitting on pins and needles, afraid to move. Just then, Mr. Wei, who had rushed over, appeared like a savior.

Mr. Wei's face was filled with unconcealed excitement. "Is Jinzhi really all right? I just called Hu Feng and asked him to come over and double-check."

Mrs. Wei said, "There's no need to call Hu Feng. Master Ma has already looked at her. She's truly fine now."

"It's still better to have someone else take a look." Only then did Mr. Wei notice Wu Gu sitting to the side. "And this is?"

"Hello, Uncle Wei. My name is Wu Gu. I'm a friend of Sister Wei's."

Just then, Wei Jinzhi walked in after ordering some food. "Dad," she called out, but went to sit next to Wu Gu. "Do you want to rest for a bit?" she asked her. "I had some sets of clothes sent over for you. You can see if you like them." Mr. Wei was taken aback. He stole a glance at his wife, then turned his gaze back to the front, switched on the television, and pretended he hadn't noticed a thing.

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